Particles are more useful if they are capable of being mixed under various conditions without physical damage. Particles are prone to agglomeration and this is especially true when these materials are introduced into liquids. Mixing would not be a problem normally, but certain particles are susceptible to harsh handling.
In the laboratory setting, it is possible to introduce materials into liquids at a very slow rate using methods that are conducive to producing desired properties. This is not always possible when processes are operated on a large scale and require large amounts of materials to be introduced rapidly into liquids prior to mixing and dispersing operations.
The most common methods of introduction involve turbulence and high shear. There are machines that use various methods of introduction by pulling materials into a stream using a vacuum or pressure drop created by the flow of the liquid and the equipment. Typically, equipment of this type does not control the speed of material introduction, or if it does, it does so by using adjustments to the amount of vacuum created in the system.
Both of these techniques expose the material being put into dispersion, to the liquid, in a relatively uncontrolled amount, and then rely on a zone of high pressure and shear immediately upon introduction, to “wet” the material.
The ability of these types of equipment to disperse the particles, and specifically graphite materials, is not satisfactory for many applications.
Thus, it is desirable to have an apparatus and method which can mix the particulate materials rapidly into liquids to give uniform dispersions, and at the same time, not create problems because of harsh handling. Such a method would create a non-agglomeration of the nanomaterials in liquid.
“Dispersions” and “suspensions” are considered to be interchangeable in this disclosure.